The Weekly Tradecast by UNCTAD

91. Growth going to waste: UN trade and development update sees multiple challenges slowing economic momentum

This episode of the Weekly Tradecast looks at the update to the UN’s Trade and Development Report with UNCTAD director Richard Kozul-Wright.
On the positive side – despite high inflation, high interest rates and gloomy forecasts – the global economy grew 2.7% last year.
The bad news – the update says – is that the positive momentum is going to waste and that growth looks set to be slower this year at 2.6%.
Tune in to UN Trade and Development’s Richard Kozul-Wright to find out how we address not only rising interest rates and inflation but also the urgent challenges of climate change, underinvestment and inequality before it’s too late.

90. Healthy not hungry: Why good food is a key ingredient for development

This episode of the Weekly Tradecast looks at the connection between food, health and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals with Bojan Nastav, a statistician with UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD). 
UN Trade and Development has teamed up with the World Health Organization to study the global trade of healthy and less healthy food. 
At least 10% of the world’s people live in hunger. At the same time, more than 40% of all adults are overweight.  
So, it’s not just a matter of quantity – or getting enough to eat. It’s also about quality by ensuring people have access to safe and nutritious food to help them stay healthy. 
Greater insights into the trade flows of food offer new ways for the WHO and others to analyse and address diseases that are linked to nutrition. 
Tune in to Bojan Nastav, one of the authors of the report, to find out how this research can help governments better understand food markets and develop nutrition-related trade policies. 

89. Moving up: Bhutan graduates to UN's developing country status but challenges remain for other LDCs

This episode of the Weekly Tradecast looks at Bhutan, the Himalayan kingdom that measures its success in "Gross National Happiness" with UNCTAD director Paul Akiwumi. 
Bhutan and its 800,000 people now have an extra reason to be happy – after graduating from the UN list of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) into full developing country status. It's only the seventh nation in 50 years to make that jump.   
Bhutan was included in the first group of LDCs in 1971. Over the last few decades, it has made remarkable progress on various social and economic metrics, including big improvements in poverty levels, education and life expectancy. 
Tune in to UNCTAD’s Paul Akiwumi to find out how Bhutan achieved this feat and what the 45 countries still classified as LDCs can learn from its development path.

88. That’s rubbish: How our waste is choking the planet and how we can clean it up

Just ahead of Zero Waste Day, this episode of The Weekly Tradecast talks trash with UNCTAD economist Henrique Silva Pacini Costa.
From plastic packaging to fast fashion to car batteries, we have been creating mountains of waste for decades. It’s everywhere – in landfills, in the air, in plants and animals and in our oceans – and it can take decades or even centuries to degrade.   
We’ve recycled just nine percent of the plastic we started making 70 years ago, so that’s not going to solve the problem.   
Tune in to UNCTAD’s Henrique Silva Pacini Costa to find out what we must do to reduce our rubbish and why we must do it quickly. 

87. K-popification: Why South Korea’s creative economy is an inspiration for others

This episode of The Weekly Tradecast looks at K-pop and other lessons for success from the creative economy of the Republic of Korea with UNCTAD economist Katalin Bokor. 
Whether we've danced Gagnam style, listened to the songs of BTS and Blackpink, played video games or watched Korean TV shows and movies, the country's cultural impact is hard to ignore.  
That catchy creativity is also paying big financial dividends. Around the world, the creative economy is one of the fastest-growing sectors and is already worth at least $1.5 trillion. Few places do it better than the Republic of Korea, more commonly known as South Korea. 
Tune in to UNCTAD’s Katalin Bokor to find out how other countries can emulate that success and build up their creative economies.

86. Fisherman's blues: Why the fisheries industry needs to get much greener

This episode of The Weekly Tradecast looks at how we can fight climate change by cutting the carbon emissions of our fisheries with David Vivas, an UNCTAD legal officer working on trade and environmental issues.
The fishing industry is a vital source of food. And it provides work – directly or indirectly – for one in every 13 people on the planet.
But there's a deep downside for the environment from the emissions spewed out by the sector's ships and processing plants. One recent study shows that bottom trawling – a common fishing practice – emits as much carbon dioxide every year as airplanes. 
How do we make fisheries greener while also keeping people in their jobs?
Listen in to UNCTAD’s David Vivas to find out how we can stay in line with global climate goals and cut down the carbon emissions of our fisheries.

85. Women’s Day: Why investing in women is the key to faster development for all

As we mark International Women's Day on 8 March, this episode of The Weekly Tradecast looks at the importance of investing in women with special guest Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General of UNCTAD, the UN’s trade and development body.
Overall, the outlook for gender equality is not as bright as it should be.
Women and girls make up nearly half of humanity but still lack equal opportunities in societies and economies. That means they often get less access to education and healthcare, are paid less than men and are more likely to leave work to care for families.
Projections now show that closing the global gender gap will take almost 132 years – about 30 years more than estimated in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tune in to UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan to find out how inclusion, investment and opportunities for women support sustainable development, build economies and strengthen societies.

84. Money on the move: How remittances and trade work together for development

This episode of the Weekly Tradecast looks at the importance of remittances with UNCTAD economist Bruno Antunes.
Around the world, migrants send home more than $830 billion in remittances, of which about $650 billion go to developing countries, according to estimates from the World Bank.
That money helps to reduce poverty, improve nutrition and broaden access to education. 
Listen in to Bruno Antunes to find out how policies and reforms can help us better use remittances and the opportunities they offer.